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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24240070">Again on the Playground</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rychuu/pseuds/ImpyTricky'>ImpyTricky (rychuu)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:01:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,797</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24240070</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rychuu/pseuds/ImpyTricky</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After remembering when they had first met, Kaito takes Kokichi to an old playground to watch a meteor shower with a plan to confess.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Momota Kaito/Oma Kokichi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>169</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Again on the Playground</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi hello I can't write straight up fluff apparently</p><p>So yeah--idk if this is triggering for anyone or anything, but there is a reference to Kaito and Kokichi having a kiss when they were young kids. It was a pretty innocent "kiss goodbye" but I thought I'd at least give it a mention. I don't think it's tag-worthy though.</p><p>This was written for Oumota Day, with the prompt "Stars." Yes, I did spend all morning writing it last minute, what's it to you? Shhh..... Leave me be....</p><p>Anyway, I hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey, do you remember when we first met?”</p><p>The question slipped out from Kaito’s mouth before he could stop it. The silence prior had been a comfortable one, but he felt an anxious stir in his gut. This place, the playground in which he took Kokichi to, it was more than just a place for kids to play. It was old, very few parents came here with their kids anymore. Now, it was a hang out spot for teenagers skipping school, or to play in the sand right by the shore.</p><p>Over ten years ago, however, it was a playground in its prime. Parents took their kids every day to this place to play, to swing on the swing set or climb on the jungle gym. Kaito had come to this place often, though he always ended up playing by himself.</p><p>Except for one time. He wondered if Kokichi would remember that day. It was only for one day, but they played together for hours and hours. Then when it was time for Kokichi to go home, he had oh so boldly given Kaito a kiss. A kiss ‘goodbye,’ or whatever their childish minds thought it was. Maybe it was nothing special to him, but to Kaito…</p><p>… A burning sensation crept up from his throat, and his face felt like it was on fire. Not even the cold air of the night cooled it down.</p><p>Kokichi only hummed at his question, not answering immediately. He was still looking up at the sky, still looking for the shooting stars that were supposed to appear tonight, and lost in thought. Kaito hated it when he would be silent after being asked a question—it made him think that Kokichi had an answer, but didn’t want to give it. Yet there was an alluring mystery about it that Kaito found himself hating to love. Kokichi always had him on his toes, metaphorically or physically, chasing and guessing and wondering. Lately, the other had cursed him, and found his way into every thought Kaito had. </p><p>He didn’t think someone could captivate him nearly as much as the stars above had.</p><p>“Hmmm… Well, if I were an <em> idiot, </em> I’d probably say, ‘Of course! How could anyone forget a virtual killing game that we wanted no part of’!” Kokichi’s bluntness made Kaito wince. He didn’t want to think about that time, that wasn’t his intention—but Kokichi continued. “Buuuuut not even an idiot like you would forget something like that. Which meeeaaaans…” Kokichi rolled over to face him, grinning widely. “You’re thinking we met somewhere before, don’t you? Oh, oh, was it at the amusement park? Or maybe we went to school together? Oh wait, now I remember!” Kokichi’s grin grew wider. “We were toooootally stranded on an island together! We were stranded for about three years! You ate a poisonous berry and I had to save you—”</p><p>“Kokichi, I’m serious,” Kaito warned, not meaning to add as much bite to it as he did, but it was enough to shut him up. Kokichi’s grin fell, and Kaito couldn’t look at him. Drawing in a deep breath, he continued; “You’re right about that first part. We met somewhere else, before… all of that.” There was a boiling sense of guilt in his gut, but Kaito forced it down. “It’s okay if you don’t remember. I was just… wondering.”</p><p>Well, actually, it wasn’t just a sense of curiosity—his plans for that night would be ruined if Kokichi didn’t <em> actually </em> remember.</p><p>Kokichi only hummed again, turning his attention back up to the stars. He didn’t immediately answer. Kokichi remained silent for a minute or two, and Kaito could see him glancing at Kaito in the corner of his eye. Kokichi squirmed a little, before he complained; “Geez, Kaito, isn’t there supposed to be a meteor shower tonight? Ugh, how can I confess my <em> undying love </em> for you if there aren’t any shooting stars?”</p><p>A hot fire was ignited in Kaito’s chest, and he just barely resisted making too much of an obvious response. He hated how Kokichi joked around like that, unknowing just how much <em> want </em> it stirred within him. “Do you always have to joke around like that?”</p><p>“Aww! Kaito<em> still </em> doesn’t believe me!” Kokichi whined, exaggerated and loud, before he moved closer to Kaito. Grinning, he flopped his arm over Kaito’s chest, making him grunt. The corner of Kokichi’s mouth twitched, and his grin widened. “You’re soooo mean! Why won’t you believe me when I confess to you? It breaks my heart, you know!”</p><p>“Quit messing around!” Kaito nearly snarled, passion and hurt morphing into anger as he shouted. Finally, Kaito sat up, glaring at Kokichi still laying on the ground. “You know—some people might <em> actually </em> take you seriously, and you could really hurt them like that! What if—what if I really <em> did </em> start taking you seriously, huh? What would you do <em> then?” </em></p><p>His tone was a lot more accusatory and harsh than he had wanted, and such a tone made Kokichi wince. He withdrew, averting his eyes. “Hmph… You’re the one assuming it’s a lie!” Kokichi whined. “Maybe if you actually believed me, and you liked me back, I’d totally kiss your stupid ugly face again!”</p><p>
  <em> Again? </em>
</p><p>Maybe Kokichi didn’t intend to say it, but the word stuck with Kaito and echoed in his mind for a few moments. It rendered him speechless. Staring at Kokichi with widened eyes.</p><p>Eventually realizing his mistake, Kokichi snickered and laughed. “Katio was soooo delirious when I kissed him the first time! Well, I guess I was too, ‘cause I’d <em> never </em> wanna actually kiss you.” He snickered, but that joy wasn’t reaching his eyes. “It was in the hanger, of course! Man, that poison must’ve done a number on our brains, if we thought that was a good idea!”</p><p>Kaito wasn’t falling for it, though. He scowled at Kokichi, unamused. “We didn’t kiss in the hanger. That never happened.”</p><p>“But it toootally did happen!” Kokichi insisted, pouting. “Like I said, you toootally were delirious, and—”</p><p>“Would you cut the crap already?” Kaito let out a hard exhale, grunting as he rubbed the back of his head. “Geez, you’re a pain in the <em> ass</em>, you know that? We both know that’s not when it happened.” Kaito gestured to the old, rickety, grimy yellow tube slide resting just behind them. He rubbed the back of his neck, his face burning hotter. “You remember this place, don’t you?”</p><p>Kokichi didn’t answer. He glanced over to the slide, staring at it for a moment, before he laid flat on his back, crossing his arms behind his head, and turning away from Kaito. “Maybe I do, but probably not for the same happy reasons you do.”</p><p>“Stop messing with me.”</p><p>“I’m <em> not.” </em> Kokichi spoke that with such an authoritative and serious tone that it shut Kaito right up, before he had the thought to say anything out of a stupid rage. “The last time I came here… that was when we met, right? Well, it just so happens, the day we met was also the last day I saw my mother alive.”</p><p>Kaito’s heart sank, and that guilt he shoved down came back as a rolling boil. While Kokichi had a tendency to lie like his life depended on it, Kaito knew that Kokichi’s childhood was anything but pleasant. He knew that it was true—after all, he had seen her absence on his life the whole time they had known one another.</p><p>“Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Kaito rubbed the back of his neck again, now feeling worse that he brought Kokichi somewhere that was probably painful for him. Now he was sure; he couldn’t confess to Kokichi, no matter if he remembered or not. He had no idea that such a place could turn out to be so sour.</p><p>“What are you apologizing for?” Kokichi sat up, and Kaito couldn’t even look at him. “You didn’t know that. It’s not like it’s your fault.”</p><p>“I know,” Kaito replied, but deep in his heart, he still blamed himself. Maybe he should have thought about it more, before he chose this spot. In his mind it had been romantic, but now, it felt like the whole thing was one giant mistake. “We can leave, if you want.”</p><p>“Haaa? Why would I want to leave?” Kokichi pouted. “The meteor shower hasn’t even started yet!”</p><p>“We can watch it somewhere else, it’s not that big of a deal.”</p><p>Yet when his eyes caught Kokichi’s, he saw a cold and calculating gaze. With his lips pursed together, searching Kaito for any cracks in his facade. It almost made him feel naked, anxious about what Kokichi would find.</p><p>Then his gaze drifted away, and he titled his head. “You know, this place doesn’t <em> bother </em> me or anything.”</p><p>Kaito’s chest tightened as he sighed. “I know.”</p><p>“... And I don’t feel bad remembering that day.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“And it’s not like it’s <em> your </em> fault she went missing, or anything.”</p><p>Kaito swallowed a hard lump in his throat. “I <em> know.” </em></p><p>“Actually, that day was probably one of the best days of my life.”</p><p>
  <em> “I know.” </em>
</p><p>Kokichi’s gaze hardened. “Then why do you look like you’re the cat that ate the canary and regrets his life choices?” He pouted. “You’re lying. You feel bad.”</p><p>“I don’t feel bad,” Kaito countered. While it was a blatant lie, he didn’t want Kokichi to know the truth. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be, anyway—and though he felt a weird sense of grief with that thought, he shoved it down further than he had with his guilt. Yet with Kokichi’s eyes on him, he could feel a crack in his resolve already. “It’s just—I don’t know. I thought that it might be nice to watch the meteor shower here. Not many people come here, and there’s little light pollution, I thought…” Kaito trailed off, and he sighed. “Forget it, it doesn’t matter.”</p><p>“Clearly, it <em> does </em> matter.” Kokichi wasn’t going to let him drop it. Now sitting on his knees, Kokichi scooted closer to him, something that made Kaito want to lean away. “Did you bring me here for a different reason?”</p><p>Kaito tried to look away, but Kokichi’s eyes had him petrified. It was nerve wracking, how intense his gaze was. “I—”</p><p>“Well?” Kokichi was impatient, not even letting Kaito weave up a new lie, and any that he had thought of in that moment vanished as his mind went blank. “Why’d you bring me here?”</p><p>“Kokichi—”</p><p>“Was this supposed to be something <em> special?” </em> Kokichi raised a brow. “This was where we first met, so it means something…”</p><p>“It’s not like that—”</p><p>“And you feel guilty, too. ‘Cause now you won’t tell me what this really is…” Though after a moment, Kokichi started grinning, his mouth twitching. “Oooooh, I get it! It’s supposed to be a <em> date, </em> isn’t it? Wanting to be romantic and take me to the place where we had our first kiss as little kids! I gotta hand it to you, that’s actually a really cute idea, you might have me swooned a bit!”</p><p>Kaito’s breath sputtered. While it hadn’t been intentionally a <em> date, </em> Kokichi wasn’t too far off of the mark. Even though he knew Kokichi was just teasing him, even if he knew Kokichi didn’t mean it—</p><p>“Sooo what, are you going to kiss me? Under the glow of the moon light, or the shooting stars?” Kokichi continued his teasing, relentless as ever. “Since I looooove you so much, I’ll let you have a free kiss! Maybe if I feel like it, I’ll even be your boyfriend!”</p><p>“Kokichi—”</p><p>“—But after that, you gotta work for your kisses! You gotta take me out on dates, and get me lots of ice cream, and soda—”</p><p>
  <em> “Kokichi—” </em>
</p><p>“—And take me to see lots of movies! Even the cartoon ones you don’t like—”</p><p>
  <em> “Would you stop messing with me?!” </em>
</p><p>Kaito didn’t mean to shout so loud, letting all of the feelings that swarmed in his chest manifest into an intense rage. Kokichi’s eyes had widened, mouth agape in surprise, and he had leaned away in shock. Kaito was breathing hard, and he could feel the tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes.</p><p>“Why do you <em> always </em> have to mess with me like that?! Why do you keep saying shit like that when you don’t even mean it?!” The rage continued to mask the hurt, and Kokichi flinched. “Maybe I just wanted to hang out with you! Why do you always say stupid shit like you ‘love’ me, or that we’re on some kind of date—and then, you always turn around and say it’s a lie! Why do you feel the need to mess with people like that?! Don’t you get it, that someone might actually be taking you <em> seriously, </em>and you’re just hurting them with your bullshit?!” He snarled. “Do you ever even think about anyone but yourself?!”</p><p>Now Kokichi was the one who was speechless. Though his mouth was open and he looked like he wanted to say something, he didn’t. The silence made Kaito even angrier. </p><p>“Screw it, it doesn’t matter,” Kaito growled, before standing. He held his head in his hand, and the other was balled into a fist. “I’m done with your crap.”</p><p>He started walking off, and he heard Kokichi gasp. Not three steps away and Kokichi was already on his feet and chasing after him. </p><p>“K… Kaito, wait—”</p><p>“Leave me <em> alone,” </em> he warned. Kaito didn’t even turn around to face Kokichi. “I’m not in the mood to play along with your stupid games.”</p><p>Kaito heard Kokichi stop, only hearing his own footsteps in the gravel beneath him. He continued storming off and away from Kokichi.</p><p>He heard Kokichi whimper. “Don’t… Don’t go…”</p><p>But Kaito didn’t stop. He needed some space.</p><p>He didn’t go far. Just around the building with the showers and into the parking lot on the other side. He started pacing, grunting and growling, even snarling as he kicked at the stray pieces of gravel from the playground.</p><p>“God <em> damn </em> it!” He yelled. “God fucking <em> damn it!” </em></p><p>When the urge to yell out his frustrations hit, Kaito immediately made a beeline for his car. He opened the driver side door, got in, slammed it shut, and slammed his head against the steering wheel as he yelled out as loud as he could. He was shaking when he finally ran out of breath, and his chest felt so tight that he was nearly gasping for air. </p><p>This wasn’t how any of this was supposed to go.</p><p>Kaito squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, refusing to let the tears that gathered fall down his cheeks. Something deep in his core twisted tight with hurt and grief. Deep down, however, he knew—that this whole thing he had planned, even if it didn’t turn out like it had and went perfectly, that Kokichi didn’t actually return those feelings. With how often he teased him with those false words of affections, it made it pretty clear.</p><p>Kaito started the engine of the car, ready to leave the little playground and the bay. </p><p>Yet when he moved to put his foot on the gas pedal, he felt petrified. </p><p>While the angry, hurting part of him wanted to just abandon Kokichi there as a form of payback for the grief he caused, the part that loved him couldn’t stand the thought. Kokichi wouldn’t have any way to get home, and he would be stranded there until morning, if he didn’t just try to walk all the way home himself.</p><p>Wincing at the thought, Kaito immediately turned off the engine, and exhaled. Leaning against the headrest of the driver seat, he looked up at the ceiling of the car. What was he doing?</p><p>Now that he had calmed down, he felt some kind of resolve. He closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again and opening the door. </p><p>He had to find Kokichi and tell him the truth. No more games, not more dodging questions, no more. This had to end, or it would just spiral and get worse and worse, if it wasn’t already irreparable already.</p><p>The thought made his eyes sting even more.</p><p>Kaito didn’t know how long he had stepped away for his little temper tantrum, but he knew it had to have been at least ten minutes before he had finally collected himself. A pang of fear hit him when he didn’t see Kokichi where he left him. </p><p>“Kokichi?” Had Kokichi run off? Had he thought Kaito abandoned him there and left to go home? Panic swelled in his chest, and he started hating himself for what he had done. “Kokichi? Hey, Kokichi!”</p><p>Yet he didn’t get a response. Oh god, what had he <em> done? </em></p><p>He searched around the bay, looking down the coastline to make sure Kokichi wasn’t there. Even if it was dark, his white clothes would be easy to see. A morbid thought hit him that Kokichi might have ran <em> into </em> the ocean, but he dismissed the thought. He couldn’t afford to think like that now, not unless he was absolutely sure.</p><p>Kokichi most likely would have just left. Yet that didn’t stop his panic from swelling higher and higher.</p><p>Kaito bolted towards the road, to look for any signs that Kokichi had truly left, when he heard the sound of someone sobbing. He froze right in his tracks, and scanned the area. “Kokichi? Is that—”</p><p>He didn’t need to finish. His eyes finally caught on to the source of the sound, a small person wearing white. Curled up into a little ball, sitting under the yellow slide. Kokichi wrapped his arms around his knees, buried his face into them, and was sobbing quietly.</p><p>Kaito had never seen Kokichi cry like that before. His heart twisted with guilt, and a part of him felt like he didn’t deserve to even go <em> near </em> Kokichi after he had exploded on him like that. Yet it was his fault, and thus his responsibility, so he steeled himself and moved forward.</p><p>Kokichi didn’t even react, even when Kaito had drawn close enough so that Kokichi could hear his footsteps on the pavement and gravel. In fact, all he did was make himself smaller.</p><p>Kaito pursed his lips. “Kokichi, hey—”</p><p>Suddenly, Kokichi snarled. He scooped up some of the gravel in his hand, and threw it viciously at Kaito’s general direction. Some of the rocks hit, which made Kaito grunt and shield his face with his arms, but it didn’t stop there. Kokichi scooped up more, and threw more of the gravel at him. “Get the<em> hell </em> away from me! I hate you! Go away!”</p><p>Those words stung, but Kaito knew he deserved them. Kokichi must have been really hurt, if he couldn’t even stop himself from crying in a public area like so. </p><p>Instead of leaving, Kaito only knelt down beside him. “Kokichi—”</p><p>“Get the fuck away from me!” Another handful of gravel was viciously thrown at him, and yet Kokichi sobbed. “I don’t want to see your stupid, ugly face! Asshole! I hate you, you’re—you’re a fucking <em> asshole!” </em></p><p>Kaito grunted, but he didn’t know what he could say to that. The words hurt more than the fist fulls of gravel by a long shot. “Kokichi, I’m—”</p><p>“I don’t want to hear it!” Kokichi interrupted yet again, gritting his teeth and snarling. Tears ran down his face, and his eyes were red from crying. “I don’t care, I won’t forgive you no matter what you say! I hate you, so just go away! Get the hell away from me!”</p><p>Kaito didn’t dare to inch forward, but he didn’t move, either. Kokichi might have been furiously adamant about it, but Kaito couldn’t just <em> leave </em> him there. Whether Kokichi liked it or not, he needed a ride home, and Kaito wasn’t about to let Kokichi wander the streets when it was already so dark outside.</p><p>With Kaito not answering and not moving away, Kokichi only continued to throw more bits of gravel at him. At least until he ran out of ammo, and then out of steam. He started sobbing heavier, and when Kokichi hung his head, Kaito finally felt it was safe enough to let his arms fall to his sides.</p><p>“Y-you’re cruel,” Kokichi blubbered. There was only a hint of the rage still left in his voice, but otherwise, it was mostly hurt and grief. “You l-left me, you were going to leave me all alone here a-and abandon me here… I hate you…!”</p><p>Guilt twisted in Kaito’s gut. Sure, the thought had only appeared for a moment, but he couldn’t deny that it hadn’t appeared at all. Finally, with a low voice, Kaito said; “I wasn’t going to leave you here by yourself. I couldn’t do that to you.”</p><p>“That’s a load of shit,” Kokichi growled. “You don’t give a rats ass about me, just like everyone else—” he hiccuped. “I thought you w-were different, but you’re just like the rest of them! You just w-wish I would hurry up and <em> die, </em> don’t you?!”</p><p>The reaction baffled Kaito. Not because it was true, but he could hardly believe that one fight had caused so much damage… and he had no idea if he could repair it.</p><p>“That’s not true. <em> None </em> of that is true.” Kaito reached out and rested a hand on Kokichi’s shoulder, but he flinched away. Kaito withdrew his hand, and pursed his lips together. “I don’t wish you were dead. I <em> do </em> care about you. I wasn’t going to leave you. I would <em> never </em> do that to you—I just needed to blow off some steam—”</p><p><em> “Liar!” </em> Kokichi snarled. “You’re a filthy liar! You h-hate me, don’t you?! I knew it—you only tolerate me b-because of some stupid sense of rightous guilt, right?!” He wheezed. “You just feel <em> soooooo </em> bad over the stupid killing game, that you tolerate being around me! Otherwise you wouldn’t even pretend you care!”</p><p>“Kokichi, god damn it, I’m not <em> pretending </em> to care about you!” Kaito could feel the anger within him rising again, but he had to shove it down. Fighting fire with fire wasn’t going to work. He didn’t even think the truth would be good enough to soothe Kokichi’s hurt. He just had to grit his teeth and take it. “I <em> do </em> care about you. I’m not just tolerating you, or hanging out with you because of what happened!”</p><p>Kokichi was borderline hyperventilating by the time he finally glared at Kaito. Yet as his eyes searched, the fire died down a little. Kaito didn’t know what Kokichi saw, but it swept away most of his rage. Only the hurt was left behind.</p><p>He started sobbing.</p><p>“Y-you left me,” he whimpered. “You l-left me here. You left me alone...”</p><p>Kaito swallowed down a hard lump in his throat, and he reached out to touch Kokichi’s shoulder again. He didn’t flinch away, but it still made Kaito frown. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten so mad at you.” Kaito’s grip on Kokichi's shoulder tightened, but only just a little. He didn’t want to hurt Kokichi anymore than he already had. “But… I really wasn’t going to leave you, I promise. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t leave you here like that. Not ever.”</p><p>Kokichi only cried more, sobbing deeply. He grabbed onto Kaito’s wrist with his own hand, and Kaito could feel just how badly he was shaking. “B-but you hate me. You can’t even stand me.”</p><p>“I don’t hate you. I like hanging out with you.” Kaito reached over to grab Kokichi’s upper arm, gently urging him to come closer. “I couldn’t hate you no matter how hard I tried.”</p><p>“B-but you—” Kokichi hiccuped again, and he sobbed. He was resistant to leaning closer to Kaito and accepting the embrace that was going to follow it, but only just barely. “You don’t like it wh-when I mess with you, you said…”</p><p>“I know what I said.” And he could stop scolding himself for it, for how harsh he had said such words. “But that’s not all true. I like messing around with you. It’s just… that <em> one </em> thing that really gets me, you know? It bothers me a lot. I should’ve just… said it sooner.”</p><p>But he was afraid to, afraid to admit to <em> why </em> it bothered him so much.</p><p>Yet as Kokichi finally drew closer, as he was finally able to wrap his arms around him and let him cry into his shoulder, he knew that he couldn’t keep quiet about it for any longer. His feelings had already caused too much grief that night.</p><p>Saying as such without Kokichi prompting him, however, felt extremely awkward. After a while, Kaito knew that Kokichi wasn’t going to be able to ask, so he had to answer it himself. “It… only bothered me so much, because… I like you. I <em> love </em> you.”</p><p>Kokichi tensed in his arms, and his sobbing immediately went silent, but Kaito wasn’t deterred. Now that it was out, he had to keep going.</p><p>“Every time you joked around about it, saying you liked me only to say it was all a lie anyway—it just hurt, you know? I knew you never <em> meant </em> it, but… every time you said it, I kept hoping that you wouldn’t say you were lying.” Kaito tightened the hug, silently dreading that it would be the last time he ever got to hold Kokichi like so. “I get it, though. I wouldn’t like me either if I were you. Especially not after I flipped out on you like that. I’m sorry.”</p><p>Kokichi didn’t respond, not for what felt like an eternity. He just kept his face buried in Kaito’s shoulder, his fingers clinging onto the fabric of his shirt. He was shaking, but his sobs were few and far between. The silence and lack of reaction made Kaito all the more anxious.</p><p>Then finally, Kokichi mumbled; “I wasn’t actually lying… when I said I liked you.” Kaito’s heart did a flip in his chest, and he could hear it drumming in his ears. Yet he didn’t say anything, and Kokichi continued; “I just k-kept getting scared and th-then saying it was a lie. I was scared that y-you’d hate me or think I’m weird… I hated myself every time I backed out, I w-was going to… to say something when the meteor shower started—I was going to try not to l-lie again…”</p><p>Kaito couldn’t stop himself from laughing at the irony. “Funny—that’s exactly what I wanted to do tonight.”</p><p>His laughter was apparently contagious, and Kokichi finally pulled away. He sniffled and wiped his face with the palm of his hand. “Ehe… We’re—we’re <em> really </em> bad at this, aren’t we?”</p><p>“Yeah, looks like it.” Even though everything had been such a disaster, Kaito still found himself happy and smiling. “I guess it could’ve been worse. When I didn’t see you, I thought you might’ve tried to find your way home on your own. I was really worried about you.” Finally, Kaito moved his hands to cup Kokichi’s cheeks, stroking over them with his thumb to wipe away any stray tears. Something about looking Kokichi in the eye made his eyes water. “I don’t think I would’ve slept until I found you.”</p><p>Even in the dark of the night, Kaito could see when Kokichi’s cheeks darkened in color. It was hard to miss, with how normally pale he was. Something about it was enticing, and it drew Kaito closer.</p><p>Kokichi didn’t say anything nor did he pull away. His own hand made their way around his chest. He was the one to close the gap between them, pressing his lips to Kaito’s in a kiss.</p><p>Kaito’s eyes were half lidded for a moment before he finally closed them, moving his hands to return the embrace and draw Kokichi in closer. His heart was pounding, and with how Kokichi was now pressed up against his body, he wondered if he could feel just how hard it beated. </p><p>Kokichi pulled away first to catch his breath, but he quickly went right back to kissing Kaito with full force. Deepening the kiss, wrapping his arms around Kaito’s neck, it left Kaito almost addicted to the warmth and closeness they had.</p><p>When Kaito and Koichi pulled away, Kaito saw in the corners of his eyes that the meteor shower had finally started—but that didn’t matter. All he could think about was how Kokichi sat in his lap, so close and needy for affection. </p><p>As pretty as they were, Kaito didn’t need those shooting stars after all. He already had everything he could ever wish for.</p>
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